Turning Points
by tess4aria
Summary: Series of mostly KaiShin one or two-shots! Rating may vary. Warning: possibility of angst, teeth-rotting sweetness, unbearable hotness ;D aka, yaoi/shounenai. Please R&R!
1. Turning Points

**_Turning Points_**

Hello everyone~!

So, here is my first DC One-shot (though, as I mention at the end, this first, long installment, may end up being a two-shot if you guys like it enough/see further angles to explore) I hope you like it!

I do not own Meitantei Conan~

Parings: KaiCo/CoKai ;D Don't read if you don't like! Shounenai/yaoi...

Warning: The first part contains some angst/suggestive themes. Not M, but T+ at times.

_**Please R&R~! Thanks so much!**_

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><p><em><strong>Words: 7565 <strong>_

_**Rating: T+**_

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><p>oOo<p>

_I know she's worried, wondering what happened to her best friend, but I don't have an answer for her. Everything is different, now. Even if I try to pretend, things can never again be as they were._

_Who would have thought that he, of all people, would offer me exactly that-a way to forget?_

_And to think it would tempt me?_

_When Ran looks at me, these days, all I see is sadness, loss, worry, confusion…_

_"Shi-Shinichi?" She still has trouble calling me that, it's quite clear. I almost want to tell her to go ahead, call me Conan-kun when we're alone, too…she shouldn't have to push herself to clutch to memories which have become nothing but pain._

_But it's different when he looks at me. There is no sadness, no pity, no loss. Instead, I see excitement, mischief, respect…maybe I'm reading too far into it, but I can't help it…it's nice to be seen that way. As someone with a future, not as a walking reminder of what could have been, a shell of an old life, a ruined life._

_That night-did he really say that? Was he not just playing around? I can't help but feel he meant it. He was laughing, as always, but those eyes…they looked so sincere, so…hopeful?_

Conan was depressed, though that wasn't anything new. Recently, though, things seemed to have reached a breaking point...the events of the past few years had just finally built up too much, and he was tired. In almost everything he did, the old passion was nowhere to be found, and he couldn't see anything which might wrench him from his apathy. Part of him wished he could be like that carefree thief. How nice to be able to laugh in the face of your secrets...these thoughts had been haunting him more and more, but they had come to a point this evening.

Even as he smiled and waved if off, Ran could tell he was having a rough time...rougher than usual, that is, and was honestly somewhat worried about leaving him feeling this way, but being aware of his identity, she knew that insisting on staying behind to babysit was out of the question, and so, full of misgivings, she went on to Sonoko's bacholorette party.

Occhan had drunk himself to oblivion and was out by nine.

_So here I am, alone with my thoughts. Fine companions, I must say. _He laughed harshly to himself.

A dark tug at his heart, some unidentifiable desire, led him like a man possessed to the liquor cabinet. Cursing his stature (even at his current physical age of 12, he was obnoxiously short), he dragged a chair, first to one cabinet, clambering up to grab a glass before dragging the chair the other way, almost tumbling backwards at the weight of the mostly-full gin bottle he wrenched from its dark home in the far corner of the piece of furniture.

Feeling determined and more than a little self-destructive, he carried his prize downstairs to the empty detective agency, locked the door behind him, and poured himself a shot. Steeling himself, he took it in one gulp, savoring the numbing, burning sensation as it traveled down his throat. Shuddering slightly, he poured another glass, and filling it to the brim this time, moved back to lean against the couch.

How long had it been since he'd let go? Just let oblivion and carelessness be his mind's conductor? Maybe never, if he were to be honest with himself…_and that's just what he asked…_

"_Come with me," he had said, grinning. "A life chasing logic and reason in a world where the illogical so often rules…it can be exhausting, no? Join me, Tantei-kun, if only for a night. Feel the rush of freedom and forget-not what's important-but just once, let yourself forget to always question, always dissect..."_

_Leaning forward, the moonlight magician had delivered a light kiss on the shrunken detective's cheek before vanishing in a twirl of doves and multi-colored smoke._

_Once the shock had worn off enough for him to move, Conan felt behind his ear, finding a rose with a KID-insignia-ed note tied to it, which simply read: **I'll be waiting for you**…_

His head was spinning. His small body really couldn't take that much in the first place, and it's not like he was dealing with weak liquor here…he shuddered as he again drained his glass, but then felt overwhelmed by an incredible, mind-numbing heat. Smiling impassively, he calmly observed how his sensations dulled, how the room seemed to spin slowly, savoring the tingling sensation spreading from his head to his fingertips, and down to his toes…and he poured himself another glass.

There was a clatter at the window. Eyes half-lidded, Conan looked up to see a white-clad figure slip in easily before quietly approaching him, crouching down several feet before him. The night visitor grinned at him, though his Cheshire-cat look was betrayed momentarily by a hint of disappointment flashing through his eyes, only to be blinked away just as quickly. For some reason Conan couldn't fathom, and didn't care to, this made his drink-addled body giddy.

"You missed tonight's heist, Tantei-kun," KID pouted.

Those eyes, fixed on him so intently, were shining with their usual amused curiosity, but were clouded, ever so slightly, with concern-something which perhaps would only be apparent to this detective who knew his expressions so well.

Shaking his head to move his gaze from the alluring indigo of his eyes (_alluring?), _it occurred to him that he hadn't yet responded, and vaguely considered that the thief would expect a snarky reply. "I'as busy," he said, slurring his words ever-so-slightly.

KID's eyes shifted to fix on the partially drained gin bottle and the nearly-full glass beside it. His eyes narrowed in concern to be quickly replaced by his usual unreadable grin, but a hint of worry remained.

"Why, Tantei-kun, I'm hurt! Having a party and not inviting me?"

"I...knew you'd come," he mumbled, not meeting the thief's eyes.

"You what?" KID spluttered as Conan took another sip from his glass. Frowning, KID quickly reached forward and snatched the glass away, setting it where he hoped he could monitor Conan's alcohol intake. He then looked back to gape at the should-be-22-year old.

Conan suddenly pushed himself up, swaying slightly, before stumbling forward into the still-crouching KID. He leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"You're cute when you're flustered."

KID's poker-face was nowhere to be found, and the thief just found himself staring straight ahead, frozen, aware of a very foreign heat creeping up in his cheeks. To say he'd rarely been so shocked would be a great understatement, but then again, the not-preteen was working with some pretty strong liquor, so he really shouldn't take anything the detective said right now seriously, right? But then there was another point of interest itching at his psyche...why…_why_ was his heart beating so quickly all of a sudden?

Conan smirked at the pink tinged cheeks inches from his own. Reaching a hand up, he ran it down KID's cheek, marveling at the interesting mix of temperatures on thief's face, all the time gazing into the shell-shocked eyes. He felt KID's cheek tense under his touch, and leaning forward, kissed him full on the lips.

It took the thief a few seconds to register what was happening. His mind was on vacation. All he could register was the hot moistness invading his mouth. This was-_wait_. Tantei-kun…kissing him? That just didn't compute! Then again, it wasn't a bad feeling, really, but…KID pulled back, part of him immediately missing the loss of warmth, of that intimate contact, but he shook his head and said softly,

"You're drunk, Tantei-kun. If this were…" He faltered, shaking his head again without finishing his thought. "But as it is, I'm sure you'll regret this later, so…"

"You said it, didn't you?" The strength and assurance in the way he spoke made KID look up to meet his gaze again, noticing as he had so many times before, those beautiful, cerulean eyes. They always struck him as pools of secrets…and part of him wanted to be part of the world they hinted at.

"What…do you mean?" He croaked.

"You told me to relax for one night, didn't you? To stop dissecting everything…" Conan explained softly as he leaned against KID's chest, feeling inexplicably drawn to the thief. Pressing closer, his hot breath only inches from KID's face, he smirked. "Must the student become the teacher?"

KID froze at the words and the feel of that warm breath on his face. His heart was fluttering as he'd never felt it. "You mean you…you want this?"

Bending even closer, Conan began to stroke KID's face again, delivering light kisses on his cheeks, chin, ear, tracing the monocle with his hand yet not removing it. Leaning against his ear, he said in a voice surprisingly husky for his small form, "I know what I want right now."

And as he pulled back, KID felt his resolve to reject this tipsy come-on weakening. Losing himself in those familiar blue orbs, he glimpsed something new, a slight hint of a darker hue in the blue. Feeling dazed, he found himself unable to move his eyes from this mysterious timbre, from the expression in those eyes. He suddenly noticed that his pants felt uncomfortably tight.

And then those smaller lips had captured his again, but this time they were moving hungrily, passionately, over his. He gasped, and suddenly, felt the warmth of a tongue enter his mouth, and hands moving along his face, hard, massaging him, pressing him closer. Kaito moaned into his mouth and, inhibitions going to the wind, gripped Conan from behind and pulled him to his chest, kissing him back.

Conan let out a little mewl of pleasure as KID's gloved hands moved under his shirt, massaging his chest and back, moving his mouth from Conan's lips to nip lightly at his neck. With each touch, he felt himself forgetting…forgetting that the cure was no longer effective now that the original toxin had been in his system for five years, forgetting that Ran had moved on, that Kudou Shinichi, for all intents and purposes, was dead but to the handful of people who knew his identity…but even to them, he wasn't Kudou Shinichi anymore. Not really. He could hardly have been more different from the fame-loving egotistical prodigy he'd been up until that day at Tropical Land…

But now, his head spinning, his body moving and arching into every gentle touch of silk against skin, it didn't matter. None of it mattered. KID was laughing, he was smiling at him, and suddenly Conan knew…it wasn't KID smiling at him. That wasn't how KID smiled, this…this was the person beneath.

As the thief clutched him around the waist, burying his face in his chest, his hat falling to the ground, Conan buried his face in the crux of his neck, sucking it gently, savoring the way KID's body shuddered under him as he did so. Tracing his tongue up his neck to his ear, he bit down lightly, teasingly, before whispering "How's this for a break from the logical?"

And suddenly those arms wrapped more tightly around his back and he was lifted, flung backwards onto the couch, and KID was crouched over him, leaning in, sucking on his neck, gently nipping him, again drawing little mewling moans from the smaller figure.

Suddenly drawing back, crouching to stare into Conan's blue, blue eyes, KID seemed to make up his mind suddenly. "I can do better," he said softly, grinning, before taking Conan's hand in one of his, drawing it up to his face, and placing it over his monocle.

Conan's eyes widened, and his heart began to pound in his ears. "N-no, that…" His cheeks began to stain with traitorous dark red, and KID smiled at him.

"This is my choice," he said softly. "Please, I want…" and he gently tugged at Conan's hand, pulling off the monocle as he did so. For a time, clutching it in his hand and pressing it to his chest as if it were a protective charm, Conan simply stared at the face which looked so much like his-like his should, and one day, once again, no doubt would…

KID smiled down at the detective's bemused expression, noting how delicately he handled the monocle, and cradling Conan's back with one hand, lifted the pre-teen to sit up and face him directly. With a flick of his free hand, the thief presented a red rose to the once-again blushing detective, bowing dramatically and saying "Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Shinichi."

Conan felt his chest clenching almost painfully as he let those smiling, unclouded purple eyes pull him in. He couldn't believe it…he'd told him his name, and he'd called him, with no hesitation, the name he had all but thrown away. Somehow, it felt so good to hear it said this way, coming from _his_ lips.

And Conan reached forward, cupping his hands on Kaito's cheeks, before kissing him once again, this time with so much force that he pushed him backwards onto the arm of the couch. Laughing at the magician's momentary squawk of surprise, he again captured his lips, this time even more passionately than before, and as they tumbled to the ground, Kaito spun them masterfully so he would land first, catching Conan to his chest and laughing, mussing his hair and breathing him in.

After simply lying there for a while, Conan looked up to him and said, head cocked to the side, "Why did you tell me your name? Are you asking for me to put you in jail?"

Kaito smiled down at him enigmatically. "Well, let's just say I'm not one to be outdone in being illogical. I can't lose to a detective, now can I? That would be a travesty! And besides…" He grinned. "Maybe I am turning myself in, in a manner of speaking, but you should realize, meitantei, that there is more than one way to catch someone."

At Conan's momentarily blank expression, Kaito laughed and pulled him in for another kiss.

Conan rolled off the side, and the two just lay there, shoulder to shoulder, on the floor of the detective agency. This sense of freedom was entirely new to Conan. Never, as Conan, or Shinichi, had he felt this way. He'd thought revealing things to Ran would relieve some of the crushing weight of the burden, of the secret he'd kept from her for so long…and for a while, it did seem to, but a deeper tension, a deeper longing remained…could it have been, all that time, a deep, pervading loneliness? A desire for someone who could truly understand him? Someone he didn't have to pretend around, who would understand without being told?

As he looked up at the smiling, peaceful, yet still somewhat serious face of the magician-thief beside him, he wondered that now, sitting beside Kaitou KID, things felt so...right. It couldn't be that he...Kaitou KID was…what he needed…was _who_ he needed…could it?

He'd sobered up significantly, and yet the feeling was still there. Being so close to him like this, he couldn't help but smile. There were so many things in his life he regretted, but that intimate contact with Kaito, which he'd certainly initiated under the influence…he couldn't bring himself to regret. The thought of it made him blush quite impressively, but somehow, rather than pushing him away, he felt the urge to reach out and clutch that hand which was only inches from his.

Kaito turned suddenly, and his eyes met Conan's. "I think I've needed this too," he said seriously, almost as if he'd been reading his mind.

Conan stared at him, feeling absolutely incapable of moving his gaze from Kaito's warm, welcoming one. "Kuroba, I…"

"Call me Kaito, Shinichi," he said, leaning in, and the hot breath against his ear made the detective blush again.

Leaning back, Kaito propped himself up on one elbow and watched Conan expectantly. Blinking several times, Conan shook his head but smiled despite himself. "Fine then…Kaito."

Grinning manically, the magician lunged forward and squealed, pulling Conan into his chest, burying his face in the crook of his neck, delivering torrents of short, soft kisses.

Laughing, Conan eventually managed to push away the insistent thief before rolling his eyes and saying "If you don't shut up, Occhan's going to wake up from his drunken stupor and come looking for his gin bottle…and my face to bash in." He sighed long-sufferingly.

"Oh, well we can't have that, now can we?" Kaito purred, smoothing his still glove-covered hands through Conan's hair. "Then, shall we move onto the next portion of our date?"

"D-Date?"

"Now, now, Tantei-kun, after such…close interaction, you're scared to call this a date?"

"Barou, it's not that it's just...I guess I'm…not into labels…"

"Haha, fair enough. Well, how about thinking about it this way? Relaxing and having a Kaito (or a Kaitou!) night isn't just about relieving some of the…tension of a certain kind (*cough*)…you've been denying for a period of time…"

Conan flinched a little, spluttering incoherently, but Kaito continued as if uninterrupted. "There are plenty of other things we must do. My invitation, after all, wasn't specific. I left it to you to take it as you would, and I must say, I approve of your methods." He winked, bringing yet another blush to Conan's cheeks.

This was too much for Kaito, who squealed and hugged him once again.

"Shhh! Barou! I told you to be quiet!" Conan hissed.

"But Shin-channn, you're so cute when you blush!"

"D-don't….call me that." Conan tried to keep his voice as cold and steady as possible as his face continued to heat up.

"But it fits you so perfectly! Anyway…don't worry about Mouri-tantei! I've got it covered! You just sit here, meitantei!" And plucking Conan from the ground, Kaito set him on the couch, delivering another little peck on his lips before spinning and sealing the gin bottle, and grabbing the glass, eyed Conan strictly as he glanced again at the bottle.

"Did you seriously drink all of this, Shin-chan? That's dangerous! And you were going to have this, too? Tsk, tsk. I must say, though, can't say I minded the…results," he winked and Conan blushed once again.

"I would imbibe, myself, but I'm set to be this evening's designated driver," and with another wink, he headed for the door.

"Designated driver? What are you-Oh, wait, hold on, Kaito. You don't know where that stuff goes, and what if ojisan sees you?"

"Such distrust! You know me, Shin-chan, for goodness sakes!" He said in a mock-hurt voice. "And besides…of course I know where this goes!"

"Do I want to know why?"

"Probably not! Be right back!"

And in about three minutes flat, he was back, grinning like a loon. "We're all set! Dear Mouri-tantei won't be up for a while," he grinned devilishly, revealing something which looked suspiciously like his KID-sleeping gas before continuing, "and the gin bottle has been ever-so-slightly diluted…oh, and there is a letter to Mouri-chan from her dear Co-chan!"

Sighing and shaking his head, Conan just said "What do you have in mind? I can't believe I'm even asking you this…"

Winking and beaming at him, Kaito crouched down and took one of Conan's hands in both of his, gently prying it open to find the monocle, totally secure, where he had been clutching it since he'd first taken it. Smiling down at him, Kaito replaced the monocle and his top hat, straightening his whole outfit in an instant to be good as knew, before swooping down to lift Conan into his arms.

"Oi! I can walk you know! I'm not fucking seven anymore!"

Laughing but not releasing his grip on him, Kaito whisked them up the stairs to the roof, whispering: "It's just faster, Shin-chan. Hold on one second, and I'll show you."

When they passed through the door into the gentle night breeze, Kaito rubbed Conan's back before giggling a little, quickly spinning and obscuring everything with smoke.

"Wh-wha?" Blinking as the smoke cleared and Kaito set him down, Conan looked down at his…new outfit.

"What…is this?"

"What do you think, Tantei-kun? How are you supposed to frolic along with KID, incognito, as yourself? Don't you think this is just a brilliant idea?"

"No, I can't say I do…" Conan kept his voice carefully glacial, but stopped as Kaito, arms on his shoulders, pushed him to look at himself in a reflective steel wall. Even more than he had anticipated, he looked like KID. KID a good two feet shorter, but KID nonetheless.

Entranced despite himself, he moved his hand up to touch his own monocle, a perfect replica, seemingly in quality as well as appearance, of the original. A slight weight in his pocket answered his unvoiced question of where his glasses had been stashed.

He had to admit that no one would recognize him anymore than anyone recognized KID. He suddenly wondered if like this, he might be able to forget the lives he'd been struggling to variously separate and reconcile. If he could just start over, dropping the masks he'd spent years carving, and be someone entirely new.

Grinning at the stunned silence, Kaito dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around the smaller KID's waist.

"How long have you been planning on dressing me up this way?" Conan asked somewhat dryly, though with obvious amusement in his voice.

"Oh, you know…for a while…I first thought of the idea years ago, actually, after we worked together against those hijackers, remember? Yeah, that was the first time I thought you'd make a really good KID 2, but… it was just an idle dream until recently."

"What happened recently?"

"Oh, that…well, it isn't important, really…" Kaito trailed off, and Conan turned to look at him, scowling a little.

"Oi, come out with it. You can just leave it like that and expect me to wear this crazy get-up!"

"Hey! What are you saying, Shin-chan? You know these outfits are the height of cool! But, oh fine…" and his voice grew serious again. "I guess, recently, so many things have stopped seeming as...important as they used to... And the gem I'm looking for...I don't even know if it exists, but even if it doesn't, I can't stop being Kaitou KID. It's too much of who I am, now, and I've started to feel that, I don't know, like if I stopped being KID, I'm really not sure _who_ I'd be…"

He sighed. "I've felt that way for a while, but recently, even being KID has started to feel…empty. But when I go up against you, it's like the emptiness just washes away…but you haven't been coming to heists as often, recently, and even when you do come, it's been obvious that something's different about you, the way look at things, the way you talk to people... And I can't help but feel, you remind me of…me. How I can imagine I must look."

He grimaced a little, and paused for a time before continuing, softly. "It's…lonely sometimes. People either know me as Kuroba Kaito or Kaitou KID, not as both, and it's honestly pretty damn tiring after a while, being seen by everyone either purely as a bad guy or as a prank-loving never-serious magician. I feel…"

"Like no one really knows who you are. The real you, that is…and after playing a double-life for so long, you're not so sure yourself…am I right?" Conan's gaze was intense as he looked down into Kaito's indigo eyes, the magician still crouched with his arms around the not-boy's hips.

A genuine smile crept onto Kaito's lips as he gazed at him, and Conan returned it. An unspoken, deep understanding was passing between them. It was as if suddenly, unexpectedly, they had found perfectly kindred spirits in each other.

"So what do you say?" Kaito said suddenly, standing up, his clear, confident, slightly haughty KID-voice back in place. "I have a gem to return. Will you come?" Eyes sparkling down, he reached out a hand to Conan.

Smiling hesitantly, he took the profferred hand, and was suddenly spun so his back was pressed firmly against Kaito's chest, warm, strong arms securely wrapped around his stomach. Gently, playfully, Kaito leaned forward and nibbled his ear before kissing his cheek, saying in a low voice, "Just remember, I have you."

"Don't I have my own glider?" Conan asked, looking back at Kaito suspiciously.

"Oh, well…technically speaking, yes, but…this is so much cozier! Please, Shin-chan!"

The pleading tone of voice and puppy-dog eyes were so pitiful that Conan just sighed, shaking his head. "Do what you want. Damn thief."

"Whatever you say," KID said happily, and clutching him more tightly to his chest, ran to the edge of the roof and dove, the hang-glider opening when they were a mere ten feet from the ground before they soared up, taking to the sky, the familiar Beika roads, cars and trees falling quickly away from them.

Conan could only think of what a difference a new perspective made. The familiar neighborhood which had exhausted its interest for him years ago, the familiar scenery which had seemed so banal, so absolutely mundane and meaningless, suddenly took on new meaning, looked so fresh, new, exciting as he saw it this way, from above, with only an un-opened hang-glider and Kaito's arms preventing him from falling down to it.

He felt so free in the night's embrace, in the sensation of flight, and felt so safe in Kaito's arms and in the anonymity of his appearance. He could forget, and yet, the familiar regret and sense of loss which normally accompanied the hiding he was so used to, was missing…because this was no longer his secret alone. He wasn't hiding, not really, because he knew he could be real with Kaito. They'd known each other for years, and though they'd always spoken in riddles and taunts, Conan had always felt a vague sense of camaraderie, of someone else whose life, maybe, wasn't so different from his own…that maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought…and suddenly, with only the tip of their secrets revealed to each other, he felt as if he'd known for years what he'd only suspected…that as long as he was with Kaito, he didn't have to hide, didn't have to be Conan or Shinichi. He could just be. Just live.

He was knocked from his reverie as Kaito swooped down, low, over a small lake, snatching, as they left the shore, a single white tulip to present to Conan before pressing a little closer to the water, laughing at their almost-twin reflections. Wagging the plucked flower at Kaito, Conan rolled his eyes and said, "Is this supposed to be a cheap movie reference?"

Snuggling him closer, Kaito laughed and said, "Yep! Of course you wouldn't miss my references, Shin-chan! You get to be my Princess Jasmine!"

"W-what? You…!" Turning around, Conan whacked him on the head, making them shake dangerously.

"Oh, come on, Shin-channnn, I…" Kaito whined.

"Look out!"

By the time Kaito looked up to see the low tree branch they were heading for, he managed to avoid any damage to their persons…but the same could not be said for the hang-glider. As soon as the branch had made its long slice in the material, the two were plunging straight into the dark water below.

"Shin-chan! Shin-chan! Are you okay?" Once he had dealt with his number one priority of ensuring Conan's safety, quickly pulling him from the cold, murky waters to sit him on his shoulders, it occurred to Kaito just _where_ they had landed...more specifically _what_ they had landed in, and his face blanched.

A little disconcerted at Kaito's sudden, comatose state, Conan craned around to look him in the face. "Kaito? Kaito? Oi, KID!" No response.

Leaping nimbly from his shoulders into the water, he smacked Kaito's face somewhat roughly.

"Owww, Shin-chan!"

"Well, what are you doing? You were going all comatose on me!"

"Well that's because…eep!"

"What? That's because what?'

"We're…we're in…."

And he looked absolutely as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of water..." Conan rolled his eyes as he doggie-paddled in place, frowning at the thief.

Kaito's face was incredibly tense, his eyes darting every which way, looking for any sign of…_those things_…

"Hey, if you don't tell me, then how are we going to-"

"Aaaaahhhhh! It-it-_slimy_…on my leg…uhhh Shin-chan, please…_no_…" Kaito then began to hyperventilate. Realizing he had to get things under control, Conan looped the thief's arm around his shoulder, and he began to paddle them towards the edge as quickly as possible, something easier said than done...first of all, as Kaito seemed to be be passing in and out of consciousness, with little regard for whether his head was drifting under the water or not... Whatever had scared him (apparently a 'slimy thing,' which, Conan deduced, was most likely an eel, snake or fish) seemed to have rendered Kaito absolutely senseless...there was also the problem of both of their KID-suits (and included gadgets) which seriously impeded their progress...

After a great many sighs and last-second save-Kaitos (that is, a great deal of effort and patience), Conan finally dragged his charge onto the grassy bank, breathing hard and feeling about ready to collapse, not to mention shivering from the cold, but first…frantically, he crawled up to Kaito's face, but his heart plunged as he saw the magician's eyes were shut tight, and in his panic, he couldn't tell whether or not he was breathing.

"Kaito! Oi, Kaito! Wake up!"

Crouching over him, he urgently pressed his mouth to his and began to administer CPR as best as he could remember from when he'd learned it years before. His heart was pounding, fear tearing at him as he continued to alternate breathing into him and performing the right motions on his chest, but the thief had so many gadgets in the way that Conan hurriedly ripped off Kaito's shirt, revealing his bare chest. Pressing down on it a few times with all his might before capturing his lips one more time, Kaito finally began to choke, spitting out water he'd swallowed, and, breathing regulating, slowly opened his eyes.

"S-shin-chan…"

"Kaito! Dammit, Kaito, how could you scare me like that?" Shaky but overwhelmingly relieved, Conan flung his arms around Kaito's neck, burying his face against him, shaking.

Slowly turning, everything coming back to him, Kaito gently took Conan into his arms, pulling him close, wrapping him in his arms and legs, simply breathing in his presence. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You idiot," Conan said, over and over again, not caring that he was half-crying as he said it.

"You're right, I'm an idiot," Kaito said softly. "But I'm one lucky idiot, wouldn't you say?" Stroking his hand on Conan's cheek, he smiled down at him, running his hand through his wet hair.

"You're…really okay?"

"Absolutely. A little shaky is all, but…I can't believe it affected me that badly, I mean…but I guess I normally avoid places where they live, so…"

"Where…what, exactly? If you don't mind my asking," Conan said it hesitantly, worried about what kind of sensitive topic-phobia could have led to such a terrifyingly near-death experience.

"F-finny things…" Kaito said softly, shaking as he said it.

"Finny…things?" Conan cocked an eyebrow despite himself. "Oi, you don't mean, just…fish…do you?"

The way Kaito flinched at the word, and resumed his shaking pretty much answered that question, and Conan, though aware how, in a different context, he would likely take little pity on the thief for such an absurd-sounding phobia, only clutched Kaito again to his chest, moving his hands comfortingly through his messy hair, soothing him with his words, at the same time reassuring himself that he really was okay…that no lasting harm was done, and that that experience was over...as his panic for Kaito wore off, however, his own exhaustion hit him like a steamtrain, and feeling about ready to black out, let himself collapse on Kaito's chest.

As he smiled down at his little savior, stroking his soft, cold cheek and wet hair over and over again, Kaito noticed that he was shivering and that, besides that, he was being very unresponsive.

Eyes widening, Kaito suddenly sat up, cursing himself. "Oh, Shin-chan, I'm such an idiot!" And quickly, he pulled off the wet, burdensome cape, tie and other parts of the KID suit which had to have been less than helpful in the midst of the water-rescue. Cursing himself again as he saw just how entirely cold and soaked-through Conan's shirt and pants were, Kaito mumbled a quick 'sorry' before ripping off his shirt and pants, only leaving his boxers on, before taking the cold little body in his arms, nuzzling him close, trying to breath warm air all over him as he continued to attempt to warm him however possible.

Most of his KID-items rendered useless at being water-logged, Kaito considered whose house they were closest to before quickly fixing himself with wet, but normal, civilian clothes, and wrapping Conan tightly in his arms, took off running in a familiar direction.

"Kaito?" Conan's voice was faint, hoarse.

"Shinichi! Are you okay?" Kaito looked down at him desperately, though he didn't slow his pace.

"I'm...fine. I just…I guess I was really tired from the lake and…"

"Shin-chan, I'm so sorry…but don't worry, I'm just going to get you somewhere where you can warm up, okay?"

Shivering, Conan mumbled a little "mmkay," before drifting off again, unconsciously clutching to Kaito's shirt and snuggling closer in his arms.

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><p>oOo<p>

Twenty minutes later, Kaito had flown through the door of his house, Conan in his arms, clutching him tightly as he took them up to his upstairs bathroom. Grabbing several pillows and blankets, he let Conan lie down on them before turning the bathwater to a luke-warm heat setting. Grabbing a towel down, he placed it over Conan's lower regions as he quickly removed his remaining clothing, and began to gently wipe his body with a wet, warm washcloth. Removing his own wet shirt to prevent it from further chilling Conan, he sat behind him, and propping his head on his chest, got him to swallow some water before continuing his ministrations, making sure to warm every inch of his body (even, and blushing as he did so, those parts which he wasn't allowing himself to see).

Conan's breathing was completely regular, and he was no longer clammy, so Kaito gently wrapped him up in a warm towel and carried him to his bedroom. After depositing him carefully on the bed, he raced out, returning a few minutes later with an old set of clothes his mom had saved of his which he thought would fit Conan. Gently, still not looking, he dressed him in an old pair of his boxers (with little Robin-hood heads dotted on them), a cotton T-shirt and flannel pants. Gently drying his hair, he kissed his face lightly, smiling at the smile which found its way onto Conan's face.

After quickly changing his shorts and making sure he was dry enough, Kaito gently crawled over Conan, and settling himself behind him in the bed, tugged the covers up around them. Pulling the little form into him, he clutched him tightly to his chest.

As he stroked Conan lightly, watching the little chest move up and down and listening to the even breathing as if it were the most calming music, it occurred to Kaito that though he'd thought he'd understood his feelings for Tantei-kun…he hadn't understood anything. When he'd seen the little form like that, so vulnerable, it was as if the world had been on the verge of crumbling. The fear of losing him was an astonishing stimulus on his own feelings, and in the absolute dread…the dread of the possibility of someone else…leaving him… he suddenly realized just how important he really was to him.

To quell the pangs in his heart, he reached his arms more tightly around Conan, kissing the top of his head as he wrapped his legs and arms around him. Slowly, gently, eyes still closed, Conan turned to face him, and burrowing into his chest, fell back to sleep. Smiling into his feather-soft hair, Kaito drifted off as well, sleeping better than he could remember having done in years…

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><p>oOo<p>

The first thing Conan was aware of when he woke up was amazing, irrepressible warmth. He also felt light...as if the dark burdens which had been plaguing his mind for years had been suddenly lifted. It was like waking to a dream.

A particularly exceptional band of warmth was wrapped around his chest...moving his hands down, he felt...arms? Heart beating quickly, his eyes snapped open to see an unfamiliar room. Looking down, he saw he was sleeping...in an unfamiliar bed, wearing unfamiliar clothes...and someone's arms were around him...

He shot up, twisting in horror, to meet blazing, purple eyes, staring at him in surprise, concern and what was undeniably...affection. His head was swimming, but then, like a half-forgotten dream, images began to swarm back, sensations, feelings coming together...staring down to meet those concerned eyes, he said "Kaito?"

Smiling in relief, Kaito sat up, letting the covers spill off to reveal his well-toned, bare chest. Forcefully ripping his eyes from it, but unable to suppress a blush, Conan focused instead on the eyes, still so full of concern, which kept searching him as Kaito suddenly pulled the little detective to him, gently, stroking his cheek, head, hair... "Are you okay, Shin-chan? You...really scared me last night, you know."

And then it really all came back. The ecstasy, the frantic bid for safety, the horrible, gut-wrenching, mind-blowing fear when Kaito...wasn't responding...no, Kaito was fine, but then...it all got fuzzy. Blushing as he began to figure out what had happened, vague images, sensations of clutching to Kaito as he ran, wind sweeping past them...soft warmth, gentle, incredible warmth melting away the horrible wet cold...and then...strong, loving arms holding him all night...

Shinichi blushed as he noticed the pajamas. They smelled nice somehow... Noticing his gaze, Kaito quickly said "Oh, I didn't see anything, so don't worry! I was really careful about it, because I thought you might not want me to, I mean, of course, it isn't that I don't want to, I mean...well, that is..."

Laughing, Conan placed his index finger over Kaito's lips to shush him. "Thank you," he said, smiling, before leaning in to kiss him, soft and chaste, yet full of meaning.

Smiling goofily as Conan pulled back, Kaito suddenly jumped up. "Oh, right! Here, Shin-chan! I brought this up about ten minutes ago, but it should still be warm," and he passed him a mug of coffee. Conan just stared at him, his chest constricting, his feelings so complicated as he took the nostalgically comforting warmth of the mug that he wasn't sure what to do about them...Suddenly looking down, he grimaced.

"What's wrong, Shin-chan?" Kaito crawled back onto the bed, looking at him fixedly as he gripped his shoulders.

"Kaito...part of me, the logical Kudou Shinichi, feels absurd even suggesting this, but I need to speak honestly...and I have to ask you. Do you think we could, seriously...that is, I-I know it's sudden but...When I pulled you from the lake and you weren't," he gulped. "I knew for sure, then...I...I really like you." Looking up into Kaito's eyes in nervous determination, he said softly, "I mean, I think I might even..."

Hugging him to him tightly, Kaito began to stroke his hair again. "I love you, Shinichi," he said, confidently, unhesitatingly, absolutely. "I have no doubt in my mind, and besides...we've known each other for five years. How is it sudden?"

His heart clenching and releasing over and over, Conan then said, "But Kaito...even if we...love...each other, I'm stuck in this body, and we can't see eachother openly. I'll never be your age again. If only the antidote would work, but it's...too late."

"Shinichi," Kaito said seriously. "How can you possibly think such a little thing as age difference could keep us apart? After everything else? So sure, we'll have to be secretive about it for a few years...well, another five years, and you'll be back where you were when this all started, and we can come out about it. As far as our being different ages physically, how can you think that would matter to me? You _are_ my age, I am completely aware of that, and that's the important point. Besides, age starts to matter less and less the older we get...after a while, we'll barely be able to tell the difference anymore, right? Besides, ten years...it could be worse." He smiled genuinely.

Conan just stared up at him, struck to the core by the simple, yet obvious, truth of Kaito's words. Here he had been, worrying over such things which were, in the long run, such trivialities. His life, wrapped in darkness and dead-ends for years, was suddenly open, and opening, all because of Kaito. Had his perspective really changed this much in one night? It seemed impossible and yet...it was undeniably the truth. Smiling up into Kaito's eyes, Conan leaned into him, smiling as arms instantly wrapped around him..._and to think, we could have a lifetime of this..._

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><p>Thanks for reading! I wrote this in one sitting, so there may be mistakes, but I just want to get it out. I know it sets up a lot, so this may be a two-shot (or three-shot) if people like it enough :D Let me know! I appreciate your reviews so VERY VERY much. You guys are lovely.<p>

Hope you enjoyed it! A little KaiShin (or KaiCo) sweetness is good for the soul ;)

Thanks again!

tess4aria


	2. Smile for Me

_**Smile for Me**_

Fluffy one-shot! KaiShin meet as kids :D Enjoy!

I do not own Meitantei Conan

Please R&R~! Thanks so much for your reviews last chapter!

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><p><em><strong>Words: 2550<strong>_

_**Rating: K**_

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><p>oOo<p>

"Okay, Kai-chan. Be good now, okay? Mommy will be right back in a little. Do you have your money for snacks?"

"Yeah!" Bouncing up and down, the messy-haired seven-year old grinned, clenching his fist in concentration before opening it to reveal several dollar coins.

"Good boy. Don't lose them, now, and see if you can't make some friends, okay?"

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Kaito jumped up and kissed his mom on the cheek before spinning on his heel, racing to join the other kids on the playground. Easily gathering a little audience after displaying the rose and coin tricks his dad had taught him a few months before, he beamed around at the cheers and smiling faces.

Most of the kids would watch while he was doing the tricks, but then would start talking and laughing together whenever he stopped. There was one boy in the back, though, who looked like he was exactly Kaito's age, who had barely blinked, watching him carefully the whole time. Kaito stood on his toes to try to see the boy better, but a bigger kid blocked him from view. Kaito frowned. It was his mission to put a smile on everyone's face, and that boy had certainly not been smiling, but he didn't look mean or anything…

Kaito gave a quick bow to his audience before moving forward to crane around the other kids to find that dark-haired boy. Kaito pouted. He wasn't there…

Setting off to scout the playground for him, he paused when he heard a boy laughing in a way Kaito didn't find particularly nice. "What are you looking at, shrimp? What's wrong, did your mom not give you money for ice cream? Did she forget about you? That's probably because you're too short and skinny and she doesn't like you!"

Freezing in shock, Kaito turned to see an older boy wagging his ice cream cone tauntingly at a dark-haired boy. Kaito smiled. _That's the boy from earlier_! But then he noticed he was…shaking? The words that mean kid had said to him flew back to him, and Kaito clenched his little fists together, feeling his head heating up.

"Hey, you! Why don't you pick on someone your own size, huh?" Kaito bravely stomped forward, positioning himself right between the bully and the dark-haired boy.

"Oh yeah? Well too bad this is a park for tiny, wimpy kids, so I don't have much of a choice! You want to be next?" Smiling menacingly down at the two smaller boys, the bully cracked his knuckles and began to close in on them.

"Eep!" Turning around, Kaito met the other boy's gaze. His blue eyes seemed to say so many things to him, and they somehow made Kaito feel all warm and fuzzy, but they looked worried as they moved to rest on the bully before returning to Kaito's gaze. Grinning at him, Kaito said quickly, "Come with me!" And reaching to grab his hand, pulled the boy with him and the two ran together, hands clasped, as fast as they could, clambering over the jungle gym, dashing through the sandpit, before reaching a little grove of trees.

Smiling, Kaito turned to the other boy and pointed at some low branches on one tree. "Come on! Let's climb it. Then he won't get us!"

"Oh, okay," the other boy started, but as he was carefully examining the tree for a place to grab onto, Kaito bent down and pulled him onto his back. "Here," He said, voice a little strained, "Now you can just reach up!"

When the extra weight had lifted from his back, Kaito smiled up to grab the hand the boy reached down to him, pulling him up part-way. Kaito then nimbly jumped from there, planting his feet on the tree trunk, to land in the boy's waiting arms, scrambling the rest of the way onto the branch. Carefully, the two boys inched closer to the tree trunk, finding a little indented area where they could sit together snugly and securely. Looking down, they saw the blond-haired bully come up beneath them, panting. Looking up at them, he scowled, but seemed to decide that continuing the chase was not worth tree-climbing."

As he turned away, the two boys laughed, and Kaito turned to face his comrade-in-arms, beaming at him. Twisting his wrist to reveal a red rose, he offered it to the other boy and said "I'm Kuroba Kaito! What's your name?"

Smiling hesitantly, the other boy said softly, "Kudou Shinichi" before looking at the rose curiously, examining it after taking it from Kaito's hand.

"Shinichi-kun, huh? Great to meet you! Hey, why was that meanie down there picking on you in the first place? We sure showed him, though, didn't we?"

"Yeah, we did! Um…thank you, Kaito-kun. If you hadn't come, I…" He frowned. "And I guess he got mad because he saw me looking at his ice cream…"

"Do you like ice cream?"

"Huh?"

"What's your favorite kind?" Kaito's voice filling with excitement, he began to bounce in his seat.

"I guess vanilla and strawberry are good," Shinichi responded, raising an eyebrow at Kaito. "But why…?"

"Be right back, Shinichi-kun!"

And before Shinichi could say anything, the hyper child magician had scaled down the tree in no time at all, and after turning back to wave at Shinichi, took off.

When Kaito returned a few minutes later, he noticed that it looked like Shinichi had fallen asleep in the tree… Moving his purchases to one hand, he used his gymnastics practice and other free hand to run up the trunk until he could swing himself up the rest of the way, landing lightly before the sleeping figure.

_Wow...Shinichi-kun's so cute! He looks so happy and peaceful! _Letting out a little squeal of delight at the picture, Kaito snuggled against him, burying his face in the crook of Shinichi's neck, enjoying the sweet lemony smell of his skin. Feeling him move beneath him, Kaito leaned back, gently stroking his hair as Shinichi yawned and wiped the sleep from his eyes with his knuckles.

"Hi, Shinichi-kun! I'm back!"

"Huh? Oh, Kaito-kun!" Looking surprised at how close the boy was to him, he then said, slightly embarrassed, "Sorry I fell asleep, I thought you'd be away longer…"

Smiling at him, Kaito just shook his head before offering him an ice cream cone, vanilla and strawberry swirled together. Shinichi's eyes widened as he took it, carefully, from Kaito's proffered hand, looking up at him in surprised appreciation before licking his cone and smiling, leaning back against the tree.

"Thanks," he said, grinning over at Kaito.

"Of course! It's so much more fun to have ice cream with friends, after all!" Inching back to their previous sitting spot, Kaito wrapped an arm around Shinichi's shoulders, pulling him close, before starting on his own chocolate cone, the whole time beaming at Shinichi.

Eyes wide at Kaito's affectionate words and actions, Shinichi squirmed a little before sighing and relaxing, settling into Kaito's warm hold. "So you're a magician?" He started.

"Yep! Well, actually my dad is, but I'm going to be someday! Just you wait, I'm going to be so amazing, you won't believe it! Oh, speaking of, Shinichi-kun, if you like magic, you should come with me to one of my dad's shows!"

Smiling at the excitement in Kaito's eyes, Shinichi said "I've never really been to a magic show before, but… sure. Seeing through magic tricks is part of my training to be a detective, after all!"

Eyes widening at the suddenly more confident tone in his new friend's voice, Kaito cocked his head and watched him with bemused interest. "You want to be a detective? Really?"

Shinichi frowned a little at the surprise on Kaito's face. "Yeah, is there something wrong with that?"

"No, not really, it's just...aren't detectives boring?"

"What? Detectives are amazing! What are you...?" Shinichi stood up suddenly and glared at Kaito.

Kaito noticed before Shinichi did that in his little outburst, he had moved too close to the edge of the tree...and slipped. Quickly diving after him, Kaito managed to grab his hand at the last instant, his own toes hooking onto a branch behind him for extra stability. "I've got you, Shin-chan! Just hold on!" And with a good deal of effort on both ends, the little detective was safely back on their little level landing.

Shinichi had barely taken a breath before he was tackled by Kaito back into their previous spot, messy hair buried in his chest as Kaito hugged him around the middle, making hysterical little noises which sounded suspiciously like sobs.

"Um...Kaito-kun? Kaito? I'm okay, you know..."

Kaito finally lifted his tear-streaked face to look up at Shinichi. Shinichi's eyes widened in shock at the sight. _Why is he crying?_

"But Shinichi-kun, I hurt your feelings, and then you almost got really hurt because of me, and...I just wanted to be your friend but now you probably hate me and you won't let me see your smile again..."

Staring at Kaito's sincere expression as he tearfully explained his reason for being upset, Shinichi felt utterly shell-shocked. Reaching, hesitantly, to put his hand on Kaito's shoulder, he smiled and shook his head.

"You didn't hurt my feelings, Kaito. I was just a little mad is all..."

As Kaito's lip began to quiver, Shinichi quickly said, "Not _really_ mad, just annoyed. But I'm not anymore! And it was my fault I slipped. You...saved me, anyway, so please don't be sad, Kaito-kun!"

Sniffling a little, but smiling and settling himself next to Shinichi again, Kaito turned to him and said, "So we're friends, then?"

"Oh, uh," Shinichi blushed a little. "S-sure, I'd like that..." For one reason or another, Shinichi didn't have very many friends. The only person he considered a friend, really, was a girl he'd met at school that year, Ran...she was nice to him when the other kids thought he was weird...but this boy, after knowing him for less than an hour, made him feel as if they'd been friends for years. It didn't fit at all with Shinichi's experience to that point and yet, he somehow knew Kaito wasn't joking or trying to play a trick on him... he seemed totally sincere. Slowly, Shinichi turned to genuinely smile over at Kaito.

Grinning back at him and hugging him quickly, Kaito let a slightly mischievous glint settle in his eyes. "I have an idea, Shin-chan! It's something daddy was telling me about, called compromise."

"Compromise? Yeah, I've known about that for a long time," Shinichi said, smirking a little.

"Yeah, but what if we make a compromise so I'm not mean about your detective stuff anymore!"

"What do you mean? Like doing what?"

"Well, if you'll come with me to daddy's show, and if you let me teach you some magic, I'll try to learn how to be a detective! What do you think?"

Shinichi was staring at him in bemused amusement. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, of course I am! I...well...I want to keep you, Shin-chan..."

Shinichi felt an unfamiliar heat creeping up into his cheeks, and his heart began to flutter against his ribcage, but pushing that to the back of his mind for the time being, he frowned slightly. "Um, Kaito-kun, why are you calling me that?"

"What? You mean Shin-chan?"

"Yeah...it's just...my mom calls me that." He frowned again.

"What's wrong with your mom?"

Shinichi stared off a little before gritting his teeth a little, but decided to talk despite his misgivings. "She's...always lying to me..."

"What do you mean?" Kaito crept closer to him, his wide indigo eyes staring, concernedly, into Shinichi's blue.

"I mean...I guess not ALWAYS, but so many times when she says she'll get me from school, or take me to the zoo or the museum, she forgets, and...I feel like I'm always waiting for her. Today, she said she'd only be gone for an hour..."

"How long have you been here?" Kaito asked, eyes starting to tear up a little.

"Three hours..." Shinichi sighed and Kaito gasped.

"She does this a lot, so I know she's fine, but I guess...that's why when that kid said that thing, it..."

Shinichi's confession was interrupted by a tight, insistent hug around his neck. Burying his face in Shinichi's neck, Kaito continued to hug him, saying "Have you talked to your mom? Told her how you feel?"

"Well, I mean...I don't really mind. I like being alone for the most part...mom's really annoying anyway, so it's really more fun without her, but..."

"I think you should talk to her," Kaito said seriously. "Shinichi-kun, you don't deserve for her to treat you that way! I don't care if you think you're happier alone!"

"Maybe..."

"But you won't be alone..." Kaito's voice was an odd mixture between soft and determined.

"Hm?"

"I won't let you be alone." Kaito was staring at him insistently, determinedly. "I promise you, Shinichi. I won't ever leave you. Anytime you're lonely, tell me, okay?"

"Kaito..." Shinichi stared at the boy, slightly overwhelmed by his baldfaced sincerity.

"You'll let me, right? You'll let me take care of you? Shin-chan?" He said the last word hesitantly, as if asking if he could use it without bad memories coming up.

Smiling and closing his eyes, Shinichi mumbled "I've never met anyone like you, you know...but I guess I wouldn't mind having you around, no..."

And with that, he was majorly glomped by a beaming, squealing Kaito, who held him until Kudou Yukiko returned from her shopping expedition, needless to say quite unprepared for the wrath of a much more evil Shin-chan clone.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed it! This one might have a part 2... Was the ending too rushed? I'd say...probably. But I think I'll publish it anyway and see what you think...if you like how it's going :D<p>

Thanks for reading!

tess4aria


	3. Smile for Me, Part 2

**_Smile for Me_ **(Part 2)

Thank you guys so much for your wonderful reviews! I decided, after all, to continue this. I believe this will be it, unless anyone is interested in a continuation. Let me know! I really hope you like it!

I do not own Meitantei Conan~

_**Please R&R~!**_

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><p><em><strong>Words: 3938<strong>_

_**Rating: K+**_

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><p>oOo<p>

The slightly lanky fourteen-year old was stretched out on a low tree branch, his back against the thick, supportive trunk rising up through the tree's sizable crook. His eyes were closed, but though the sun beat warmly down on his face from the spaces between the leaves above, he wasn't particularly enjoying it. He was there for comfort and for the privacy of his own thoughts…if he were to be honest with himself, he was there, more than anything, to stew in the resentment he couldn't voice. It felt good and he needed it…or so he had convinced himself.

Cracking one eye open, he peered towards the quite empty playground where he'd spent so much time as a child. He remembered times spent there that were more full of anxious and painful feelings than anything…but ever since that day, for the remainder of his childhood, he had spent some of his best days and hours there…

Through the gently whistling wind, he thought he'd heard the sound of crunching leaves, but glancing around, he saw no one, and so closed his eyes again, leaning back…when he felt a cold, wet touch on his cheek.

Shinichi's eyes shot open and he looked left to see a wild-haired teen grinning madly, half-dangling from a higher branch, waving an ice-cream cone his way.

"K-Kai!" Shinichi started, "What are you-?"

"Do you like ice cream?" Kaito grinned, stepping more fully onto the branch and over Shinichi, crouching to offer him the vanilla-and-strawberry-swirl cone.

Laughing, Shinichi accepted the offered treat, and with a flick of his wrist, Kaito materialized his own chocolate cone out of thin air before frowning around for a comfortable seat.

Shinichi grinned at him. "We don't fit here as well as we used to, huh?" His grin then stopped as he noticed a familiar, mischievous glint had forced its way into his friend's eyes. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself sitting on and leaning back on something a good deal softer than his previous perch. Spinning around, blushing slightly, Shinichi faced a beaming Kaito, on whose lap he realized he was now sitting. Grinning even more widely, Kaito simply shrugged and said nonchalantly,

"We fit now, Shin-chan, don't you think?"

"B-but, Kai, this-" Shinichi's splutters were stopped by a tight, breath-stealing hug from behind. Sighing in resignation (this wasn't the first time Kaito had tried something like this…not by a long shot), Shinichi figured he'd let the silly magician be his chair if he was so desperate to be 'helpful,' and leaned back on him, redirecting his attention to enjoying his ice cream.

It had always been his best friend's style to impose himself this way, and though Shinichi liked to pretend it bothered him, there was no arguing with the quite obvious improvement in his mood since the magician had made an appearance.

For a while, the two just sat there together, enjoying their cool treats in the summer breeze.

"Are you okay, Shin-chan?" Kaito's voice broke the silence, and Shinichi flinched a little against him. Kaito gripped his shoulder and Shinichi tried to shrug him off, but the magician only held him more tightly, and he turned Shinichi to face him, his eyes asking the real questions as plainly as if he'd said them aloud. _Are you really okay with them leaving like this? Aren't you lonely? Why won't you rely on me?_

The sincerity in Kaito's eyes melted the young detective's cool exterior. He could feel Kaito's concern and care, and even though he already knew, it was still a comfort to be reminded: Kaito was there for him. He had been since the day they'd met. With Kaito, he never had to pretend.

With a little sigh, Shinichi mumbled, "Guess there's no use hiding it, huh?"

"Nope," was the clear response from behind him as Kaito began to trace little circles on his arms.

Shinichi was silent again before saying softly, "I thought she'd changed. I thought they'd both changed, but…" he balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. "But at the first call of more success and fame, they're more than happy to up and leave."

He sighed before continuing. "And sure. They wanted me to come, but…but…" _I didn't think they actually would…_ "They just wouldn't listen to me at all…I mean, I don't regret not going with them, not really. I wanted to stay here, it's just…"

"You wonder why they didn't try harder to make you go with them… Why didn't they try for some kind of compromise to keep you near?" Kaito's voice was steady as he supplied this, but his practiced poker-face smile was breaking, compassion and understanding bleeding out through his eyes.

Shinichi nodded, and then suddenly found himself nodding on Kaito's shoulder as the magician hugged him, pulling him close. His first instinct, to pull away and be the cold, cool, rising-star middle-school detective he was to most everyone else folded in the face of the very different relationship he'd always had with Kaito.

There had always been an unusual degree of understanding between them; for one thing, the two now-teens were far more similar at heart than would be obvious to the casual observer. At school, both had their crafted, popular personas, Shinichi as soccer star and rising young detective, and Kaito as magician and class clown, and sure...how they acted and the people they were in public were certainly important parts of them…but as they had grown and their lives and the shape of things had changed, as they had had to deal with the usual (and unusual) tragedies and pressures of life, they had found themselves able to hold onto a center, an inner honest self-awareness, thanks in great part to eachother.

Rather than shutting themselves up, locking their truer feelings, selves and weaknesses somewhere deep inside them, they had been able to keep those parts of themselves alive through their friendship. For together, they had found that revealing themselves wasn't a sign of weakness. Laying themselves bare, when to each other, was natural and liberating. It wasn't that they didn't have other friends-even other good, close friends-they did. But with Shinichi's case, with his friend Ran, and Kaito's case, with his friend Aoko, there were still things about themselves they didn't feel comfortable revealing. That was one basic strength of the boys' relationship.

It occurred to Shinichi as he continued to relax in Kaito's firm grip, not stopping the magician from administering a slow, stroking massage from his lower back to the base of his neck, that it had been a while since he'd been the one in this position. After Kaito's dad had passed away four years earlier, he had been the one constantly worrying about his usually overly-optimistic and energetic friend. He could hardly count the nights he'd either gone over to Kaito's or invited Kaito to his place so he could hold him through the night… those nights, he would hug him tightly until the young magician finally stopped shaking…which meant that on plenty of occassions, neither boy would sleep a wink.

Having the tables turned, their positions reversed this way, brought him back, with a jolt, to the first time they'd met. And how clearly that day seemed to have stuck in Kaito's mind, as well, filled Shinichi with a kind of energizing, enveloping happiness and contentment. Gently, he squeezed Kaito back, and then pulled out ever-so-slightly to give Kaito a half-smile which was returned instantly.

"Thanks, Kaito…"

Kaito was uncharacteristically silent for a minute before responding. "You know, Shin-chan…no matter what… " He slowly moved his eyes from where he was staring at a swaying leaf up to meet Shinichi's. "Do you remember the promise I made? All that time ago?"

Shinichi's heart began to pound as Kaito's deep indigo-blue eyes, once again completely serious, fixed on him. It didn't help his pounding heart to relax as he thought about the promise his friend had to be talking about, either…he jumped slightly as he felt Kaito's warm hand gently touch his cheek. Looking at him in surprise, he saw Kaito's lips stretch into a gentle smile.

"I promised you, Shin-chan…" he began, "That I would never leave you alone, that I would _never leave you_…" and then his smile widened, and a mischievous glint returned, though his sincerity was obvious in his tone and expression. "And you promised, Shin-chan, that you'd let me take care of you…don't you remember?" And he winked.

Despite himself, Shinichi felt another slight blush rise up, and he muttered something imperceptible. He didn't move away, however, but squeaked slightly, blushing even more hotly, as Kaito reached forward and gently grasped his hand. Again, Shinichi didn't pull back, but his blush was creeping even more completely onto his face. "You'll let me, won't you, Shinichi?"

Gulping, Shinichi nodded, and Kaito gripped his hand more firmly, lacing his fingers in-between Shinichi's. With another smile, Kaito leaned forward and pulled Shinichi into another hug, and this time, Shinichi hugged him back just as tightly. "I'll always be with you, Shinichi," he whispered in his ear, and Shinichi pulled him closer, hugging him even more tightly. Kaito's grip loosened, but before he let go entirely, Shinichi felt a hot, impossibly soft touch on his neck. His heart jolted as his mind struggled to register the touch. _Lips. Kaito's lips_.

Shinichi stared at him in incredulity, his eyes swarming with hundreds of questions, and Kaito just grinned and shrugged, eyes flashing. "I don't believe I need to tell you this, Shinichi, but I'm not fond of sharing...when it comes to what is truly important, that is…"

Shinichi sputtered a little, unable to formulate an articulate response right away, and his hand unconsciously moved up to the spot on his neck which was still a shade hotter than the rest.

"However," Kaito continued, not paying much mind to (or at least, choosing not to acknowledge) Shinichi's confused embarrassment, "Just because I won't give up my claim on you doesn't mean I can't help you to see what you already have." And he grinned more widely. "Or to help open up some terminally oblivious maternal eyes…"

"You mean…"

"I mean…" and he smiled. "Guess we didn't teach her enough of a lesson that last time, huh?"

Shinichi smiled at the memory. It had been a silly, harmless prank, but then again, they'd only been little kids.

* * *

><p>oOo<p>

The unsuspecting woman had come into the park, cheerfully swinging her bags of shopping purchases, when a little boy she assumed to be her Shin-chan came racing up to her.

"Shin-chan? When did you change your shirt? And why is your hair so messy, young man?" She put her hands on her hips as well as she could without dropping her shopping bags.

Kaito grinned at her. "What all didja buy, obasan? Bet it must have been something fun to keep you away for so long."

Kudou Yukiko's eyes narrowed. "Yes, it-wait. OBASAN? What are you-" but she stopped as she noticed the messy-haired boy had run back a few yards to pull another, shyer-looking boy, this time her _actual_ son, out from behind a tree.

"Shin-chan?" She blinked and then grinned. "You made a friend, Shin-chan? That's great! Mommy should leave you here more often, then, huh?"

She was mid-wink when she noticed both the sinking expression on her own son's face and the suddenly angry, passionate one on the other boy's… "Umm…are you two okay?"

Before she knew what was happening, the messy-haired boy had stomped forward, clutching Shinichi's hand tightly in his own, then stopping a few feet before her to glare up at her in what he must have thought to be a quite intimidating gesture. As it was, though, she found it quite comical, and had to stop herself from laughing.

She felt her smile wipe clean from her face, however, when the boy began talking. The sincerity in his voice shocked her, and then it occurred to her just how much real emotion was blazing at her from both sets of eyes, albeit more hesitantly from her son's.

"Obasan," Kaito began. "You think you can just leave Shin-chan here for that long? Do you think he likes being away from you that much? Maybe you think you're doing something fun for him, but that's just because you haven't really been listening to him! I just met him and I think I know him better than you do!"

She stared, starting to open her mouth to retort, calling him out, not only for the way he had addressed her, but for the slightly impudent tone, but then his words hit her, and again, those eyes…

Like a drop of cold water dripping into her heart, she looked at Shinichi and took a step forward. Her eyes widened when her son actually took a step away from her, and they widened even further as she watched the other little boy follow him back, give him a hug, and whisper something in his ear. Shinichi nodded a little, and setting his lip, approached her and said "Kaito-kun's right, kaasan, I…don't know why you leave me here so much, and…" he gulped, but the encouraging squeeze Kaito gave his left hand pushed him on. More loudly, he said, "Why do you always lie to me, okaasan? Why do you always say we'll do things together and then we never do? How come, every time you drop me off at the park, you never pick me up on time… why…" he trailed off and Kaito stepped in front of him again.

"You better be nice to Shin-chan, obachan, or you'll be sorry!"

"I'll be sorry?" Yukiko's expression had returned to bemused amusement at the return of the little firecracker of a boy. Then, with a snap, her bags had all fallen from her hands. Blinking slightly, she looked down and saw that where straps had been, there now were flimsy straps made of silly string. Then, eyes widening further, she looked into a bag to see, in place of a blouse she'd bought for herself…a little stuffed bloodhound with a monocle on one eye.

"What…how?" She looked back at the young magician who was grinning manically. With a smile at Shinichi, Kaito approached Yukiko and said confidently, "You made Shinichi-kun sad today, obachan, so it's only right that you get him a present, right? That's for him."

Blinking, she picked the little stuffed dog out of the bag and looked between it and her son. Things suddenly seemed to click into place, and she folded to her knees and looked at Shinichi with wide, worried eyes. "I really made you that sad, Shin-chan?"

Shinichi shrugged, not meeting her eyes, and she felt her heart breaking. "Shi-Shin-chan," she started, eyes starting to tear up. She tried to reach forward, but Shinichi just backed up, moving closer to Kaito. Placing his little hand on Shinichi's even smaller shoulder, Kaito half-smiled at Yukiko before taking the dog from her grip and passing it to Shinichi. "Can you take it as a first present from me?"

Smiling slightly, Shinichi nodded and Kaito squealed, hugging him tightly, the dog squeezed between them.

Yukiko watched them in awe. How had this strange little boy worked his way so completely into her slightly standoffish and antisocial son so quickly? _Wait, why do I even think that way about Shin-chan? Oh, I've made so many mistakes! What have I done?_

"I'm sorry, Shin-chan," she said softly, her eyes tearing up and her expression pleading. "Please believe me. I really had no idea. I know kaachan's made so many mistakes, and I must have hurt you so much, but I promise…I promise you I'll try harder from now on! Can you give me another chance, Shin-chan?"

Shinichi slowly lifted his face from Kaito's shoulder and met eyes with his mom. He seemed to hesitate, but at another squeeze of the hand from Kaito, he nodded, and she pulled him into her arms.

* * *

><p>oOo<p>

"She lied, though," Shinichi muttered as he lifted out of his memories. "She did do it, again, after all. How am I supposed to trust her, Kai? Dad, too, he left with her…at least he acted like he felt guilty, but she just…she practically forgot to say goodbye, she was so anxious to run off and get her picture taken!"

Kaito grasped his wrist firmly, and spoke in a low but strong voice. "She isn't perfect, Shinichi, and you can't expect her to be…as disappointing as that is…" He grimaced a little, and his voice rose a little. "But I still can't stand seeing you hurt like this…" And then he smiled, an idea seeming to have occurred to him.

"Um…" Shinichi started nervously. "What are…you…?"

"Just thinking of various revenge plots. Nothing you need concern yourself with…the last one seemed to have a 7-year effectiveness range…what do you say to trying something with a slightly longer expectancy?"

"Like?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Kaito smiled at him innocently, and Shinichi rolled his eyes, but laughed a little, a great weight seeming to have lifted from his chest through their talk.

"Ne, Kai," Shinichi was still half-sitting on Kaito's lap, but at the moment, he didn't feel like keeping up any of the pretty much non-existent barriers he tried to enforce between them. Rather, he stretched out, lounging almost fully on top of his friend. Resting his head on the magician's chest, he yawned a little, smiling into his chest before mumbling: "What did you do with that blouse you took from mom that time? We never got it back, did we?"

"Hm, good point. I think I still have it…think I should make it part of our newest prank?"

Shinichi flicked him on the nose, but laughed, stretching his arms a little bit and relaxing more fully into his chest. "I still have that stuffed dog, too," he said, grinning up at Kaito.

"I know," Kaito said. "That's one of the many signs that's made me feel I might have a chance with you."

Shinichi blushed again, and became self-consciously aware that, in an effort to hide his blush, he had just pressed his quickly-pounding heart more firmly against Kaito, serving only to make him appear even more flustered.

"I-that…"

"Hey, don't sweat, Shin-chan," Kaito said happily, stroking his fingers through his hair. "We have plenty of time together, after all. You don't need to worry if you can't return my feelings…yet, at least…" Kaito paused in his ministrations and gently moved his face down to rest in Shinichi's hair. When he spoke, his voice was soft but completely seriously. "But do promise me you won't keep me away, Shinichi. Promise me you won't keep it from me if you ever feel alone. I'm here for you, and-"

"Kai, I…" Shinichi sat up to look at him more directly, and he could feel the heat rising in his face again. "I know, but…I think I do…feel that way, that is…I," he gulped. "I think I feel the same way."

Kaito's eyes widened, staring at him in shock, but before he could say anything, Shinichi had quickly but gently pressed his lips against Kaito's, holding them there for less than a second before pulling back, blushing madly.

Kaito blinked at him, his shock clearing away to leave room for a wide, overjoyed smile. Shinichi had turned away, but his pink flush and the slight extra pinkness of his lips made Kaito's heart thrill even more. With a happy squeal, Kaito pulled him in for another hug, even tighter than previously, and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Shinichi. You're mine forever, now…"

And Shinichi couldn't find it in himself to argue, or to want to. All he could feel at that moment was a strengthening block of ecstasy blooming within him...and an overwhelming gratitude towards this one most steady and trustworthy person in his life.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Omake<strong>_

* * *

><p>oOo<p>

Kudou Yukiko woke up on a lovely, sun-filled morning in Los Angeles, stretching luxuriously and making a beeline for the shower. Half-asleep, she had barely registered the bits of red (which looked suspiciously like rose petals) littering her floor. After her shower, yawning and wrapped in a towel, she made her way to her closet…upon opening it, she blinked. And blinked again. Rubbing her eyes, she stared.

Every last bit of clothing she could remember having brought with her was missing. Hanging in her closet, instead, was a battalion of little stuffed bloodhounds.

There was one article of clothing, however. A white blouse…carefully, she took it and found a little note pinned on.

_It isn't my style to take things without returning them. Sorry for the hold-up on this, but I hope you'll excuse my forgetfulness in light of your own. Please try to remember what we talked about that day, obachan. It's still relevant. Regardless, be assured that Shinichi is in good hands._

At the bottom right-hand corner of the little sheet of paper, there was a little insignia-a messy-haired face, frowning disapprovingly.

Yukiko laughed lightly, and then a single tear dripped from her eye as she traced her hand over the missive. "Thank you, Kaito-kun…" And with that, she moved to make a few necessary and long-delayed phone-calls.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! I really hope you liked it, and sorry for the delay on this! I wasn't sure if I would write a second part after all, but hope it didn't dissappoint! Anyway, thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any suggestions!<p>

Please remember to review!

Thanks again!

tess4aria


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